Ukraine's President: Seeking Peace, But Not at Any Cost

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has shown a willingness to support U. S. peace initiatives to end the ongoing conflict with Russia. This move comes as U. S. President Donald Trump aims to resolve the war before the upcoming mid-term elections. In a recent interview, Zelenskiy made it clear that Ukraine is open to holding both a presidential election and a referendum on any potential peace deal. However, he emphasized that Ukraine will not accept any agreement that harms its national interests. Zelenskiy's strategy involves backing U. S. proposals to demonstrate Ukraine's commitment to peace. He stated, \"The approach we've taken is to ensure the Americans don't think we want to prolong the war. That's why we're supporting their proposals in any way that moves things forward. \"Despite his willingness to engage in elections and referendums, Zelenskiy stressed the importance of security guarantees and a ceasefire. He rejected a proposal to announce these votes on February 24, the anniversary of Russia's invasion, citing unresolved issues regarding security and a ceasefire. \"No one is holding onto power, \" he said. \"I am ready for elections. But for that, we need security, guarantees of security, a ceasefire. \" Zelenskiy also addressed criticisms from Russian President Vladimir Putin, who claims that Zelenskiy is not a legitimate negotiating partner because he has not faced an election since 2019. Zelenskiy has recently stated that a document outlining security guarantees for Ukraine is nearly ready for signing. However, he acknowledged that key details, such as U. S. willingness to intercept incoming missiles in case of a Russian violation, remain unresolved. \"This hasn't been fixed yet, \" Zelenskiy noted. \"We have raised it, and we will continue to raise these questions. . . We need all of this to be written out. \"